Drawbar-key safety device



April 29, 1930. E, R VIBERG 1,756,406

DRAWBAR KEY SAFETY DEVICE Filed Feb. '7, 2

IN VIE'N'TOR ERA/5577K VIBERG ATTORNE S Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNITEDSTATES were;

ERNEST R. VIBERG, OE MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA D-RAWBAR-VKEY SAFETYDEvIcE Application filed February This invention relatesto new anduseful improvements in looking devices for draw bar keys and the like,and the object of the invention is to providea simple device oftheclass, stated which will hold the draw bar keyin position at all timesand which will be easily unlocked to allow withdrawal of the key forrepairs or the like.

Another object is to provide a device of the class stated which will bepermanently attached to the car and have no loose'parts which may becomedetached or lost while in operation or during the changing or repairingof the coupler heads or draw bars.

Another'object is to provide a safe look ing device for draw bars, keys,or the like which will not interfere with the horizontal movement of thekey in the longitudinal direction of the draw bar.

Up to the present time the usual method of locking the coupler to thedraw bars has been by means of a key inserted through slots formed inthe center sills and engaging'with the coupler and draw bar yokes. Thiskey 25 has been provided withv ahead at one end and drilled at the otherendfor a cotter pin of the hair pin variety to hold the key in position.This method has proved very unsatisfactory and in many cases the cotterpins have broken through excessive stresses and the keys have workedloose, a state of affairs which has caused costly *derailments and, inmany cases, possiblyloss of life.

To prevent such accidents from occurring, I provide in my invention acasting riveted or otherwise permanently secured to the centre sill ofth'e car. This casting has a' locking member slidably andpivotallymounted therein and adapted to hold the key I of the draw barin place without interfering with its movement in the longitudinaldirection of the draw bar. The locking member is provided with aninwardly projecting ledge which projects beneath the key to preventupward movement of the locking member due to vibration or the like. Ialso provide a slot in the lockingmember to allow easy access to the keywhen changingor renewing couplers or draw bar yokes. I In the drawings:

7, 1925. Serial No. r 7,648.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the centre sill of a car with the lockfor the draw bar key shown in the locked position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the lockshown in the openposition.

'Mounted between the centre sills is the draw bar 12 into the yoke- '13of which is placed the coupler shank 14. Slots 15 and 16 are formed inthe yoke and the shank respectively and a key 17 is driven through theslots to hold thecoupler to the draw bar. To allow the key to be driveninto position slots 18 are formedin the vertical web plates 19 of thesills, said slots being made larger than the keys to allow free movementof same due to the movement of the draw bar. The key is provided with ahead 20 at one end to prevent the key from being driven or workingitselfout of engagement with the yoke and shank. The above description isillustrative of one type of draw bar key construction to which myinvention hereinafter described may be attached to hold the keyin'engagement with the parts which it is desired to hold'together.Secured to one of the centre sills by any suitablemeans, such as therivets 20 is the casting 21having onal elevation taken on a centralopening 22 to allow easy access to the key for withdrawing sameforrepairs or the like. Made integral "with and projecting outwardlyfrom oneend of the casting is the bifurcated bracket 23 through whichthe pin or rivet 25 passes to support the locking member 24 hereinafterdescribed.

The other end 26 of the casting projects outwardly from the base and isslotted'to form.

guides 27 for the end 28 of the locking memher. The rib 29 joining theguides at the bottom forms a support for the end of the locking memberwhen in the locked pos1-- tion shown in Figure 1. Ribs 29 and 30 mayalso be provided in the ends of the casting to position the lockingmember between them when in the locked position and to hold said lockingmember against movement until operated manually. In Figure 6 I haveshown a perspective .view of the locking member 24. The end 82 of thelocking member is provided with a slot 33, through which the pin orrivet 25 passes to hold the said member in position in the bifurcatedIbracket The other end 28 fits into the space between the guides formedin the end 26 of the casting. The centre portion 34 of the lockingmember projects inwardly and is adapted to engage with the end 35 of thehead 20 of the key 17 to prevent same from horizontal movement away fromthe centre sills. Projecting inwardly from the lower edge '37 of thelocking member .is the ledge 38 which comes in .contact with :the loweredge '39 of the head of the key to prevent the locking member fromrising upwardly due to vibration or the like. A :hole 410 is formed inthe centre of the .lockingmember to alloweasy access to the key forrepairs or the like. The dis- ;tance between the supports and guides forthe locking member is such thatthe draw bar key ,may move the maximumallowable amount in the longitudinal direction of the draw bar.

In operation :thelocking member is lifted .to the positionvshown inFigure 2,.that is with .the pin25 engaging with ithe bottom of the slot.The key is then driven through the slots formed in the draw bar yoke andthe coupler with its head projecting outwardly from the centre sillonthe side to which the casting 21 .is attached. The locking mem- .berbeing pivotally and slidably attached to the bifurcated bracket isfirst-dropped into the horizontal position and then placed be- .tweenthe guidesand pushed into the locked position shown in Figure 1, withits lower edge resting on the rib 29. The locking member is thenpositioned between the ribs .29 and .30. The head of the key is thenpressedoutwardly so'that the inwardly projetting iledgecomes in contactwith the head {to hold theslocking member in position should same tend.to-rise through vibration or the like. In -,d1smantl1ng, a driving toolis in- ,sertedthroughthe holelQand the key driven inwardly until thehead clears the ledge. The locking member is then raised vertically inthe guides until the pin engages with the bottom of the slotin-saidmember. Thelock- .ingme nber isthen raised slightly at one end to allowthe key to be easily withdrawn. This device forms .a very simple meansfor holding the ;draw bar key in position without thenecessityofdrillingholes in the key eintheendre note from its head for 'cotters-or Ithelike. The, device is held in the locked -=se t by t w We g t and isprevent from unlocking itself by being slidably mounted in a confinedspace. It will also be noticed that the lock for the draw bar key ispermanently attached to the car and has no loose parts whichmay becomedetached or lost while making repairs to the draw bar gear.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim 1s:

1. Draft key retaining means, comprising 3 sociated with Variouselements of said mechanism and said car and working in said keyreceiving openings; an enlarged head upon, said retainer key preventingremoval of the key in one direction, and an abutment element secured tothe corresponding draft sill against which said head is adapted to bear;and means for detachably connecting said element to said last nameddraft sill, said element preventing removal of the key on the otherdirection.

:3. Draft key .retainin means comprising a bracket attached to thecenter sill above and below the draft keyslot having two uprightportions spaced from the silland spaced from each other to permit thekey to be removed between them, and a key retaining bar insertedbehindsaid upright portions disposed 'transverselyof the head of thedraft key and 1 means for removablysecuring-said bar to the uprightportions of said bracket.

4. Ina railway draft rigging, the combination with the draftsills, of acoupler, a yoke, a key connectingsaid coupler and yoke and extendingthrough slots in said sills, and a member pivotally connected to saidsill and normally disposed in front :of said key in key-retainingposition said member being .movable out of key-retaining position topermit removal of the key.

5. In a device-of the character described, the combination with thedraft mechanism of a railway car including draft sills having keyreceiving'openings, of a retainer key associated with various elementsof said mechanism and said car and working in said keyreceivingopenings; an enlarged head upon said retainer key preventing removal ofthe 7 key in one direction, and an abutment element secured to thecorresponding draft sill against which said head is adapted to bear;said element in normal position preventing removal of the key in theOtherdireotion and being movable out of normal position to permitremoval of the key.

' 6. Draft key retaining means including a bracket for engagement to thecenter sill and provided with a passage therethrough aligned with thedraft key slot in the sill, and means on the bracket for positioningacross said I passage.

v7. In a railway draft rigging, the combina tion with the draft sills,of a coupler, a yoke, a key connecting said coupler and yoke andextending through slots in said sills, said key having a head at oneend, a displaceably mounted key retaining member and means forsupporting said member in an operative position close to and oppositethe head of the key so as to retain the key in said slots. In witnesswhereof, I have hereunto set my hand. i e I ERNEST R. VIBERG.

